HSUS pushing McDonald's for cage-free eggs, PETA's euthanasia policy

It's not a secret that PETA and HSUS are no friends to farmers and ranchers. Instead of supporting food producers that dedicate their lives to feeding the world, they are driven to make our jobs as difficult as possible in order to eventually push us all out of business. While they continue to make gains in their efforts, I feel there are ways we can slow them down. By keeping in close communication with our representatives and senators, educating the media and keeping in close contact with our consumers, we can work together to tell our side of the story. However, we first have to know what these animal rights activists are up to. I have included a few articles today worth discussing, and I'm anxious to hear your thoughts on our best course of action.

The first article is from writer Barry Estabrook at Gourmet. His column is titled, "Politics of the Plate: McDonald's eggs to go cage-free?" It seems McDonald's is getting pressured to change its food purchasing policies. The Humane Society plans to put the squeeze on the fast-food giant over its use of eggs from caged chickens. The HSUS announced last week that it would introduce a resolution at a McDonald’s shareholder meeting in May requesting that the fast-food chain use only cage-free eggs. Quizno's has already changed their policy to purchase cage-free eggs, and I'm concerned about the implications of food production if McDonald's follows suit. What do you think about this issue? How should food producers respond?

The second article of the day deals with PETA. While I have heard talks about PETA's euthanasia policy for years, I'm excited to see its traction once again on the internet. Media outlets and bloggers are outraged to hear that in 2008, PETA euthanized 95% of the animals in their care. You can check out the full press release at The Center for Consumer Freedom. The press releasereveals the facts about this hypocritical animal rights group’s 2008 pet death toll of 21,339 animals. Despite having a $32 million budget, PETA does not operate an adoption shelter. PETA employees make no discernible effort to find homes for the thousands of pets they kill every year. Last year, the Center for Consumer Freedom petitioned Virginia’s State Veterinarian to reclassify PETA as a slaughterhouse.

Let's work together to stay informed and be proactive on some of these issues. Now is the time to start connecting with those in politics, the media and at the grocery store. We need to work to secure the future of food production, and it's time to team together with all sectors of the industry to get the job done. Let's start the discussion today!